Masquerade
by Andrea Weiling
Summary: The name came from the Broadway show "The Phantom of the Opera". This is just a fic that I just thought like writing, one that I am at least mildly proud of, since it was my first fic. But I think all the others I've written are bad, so don't bother rea
1. Prologue

Prologue   
  
Everything is going wrong, Sally thought. She flipped her head around at the   
next report.  
  
"Commander Sally, ma'am, the enemies have just crossed the defense line. They're   
firing at the spare mobile suits, but they haven't targeted the control center yet", the   
soldier saluted as he faced the flashing red computer once more. "What shall we do,   
Commander Sally?"  
  
Sally thought hard. So. The wily enemy had taken them by surprise, not showing   
their true numbers and skill until now. Trust all cowards to be this way.   
  
She gave the order, the final order that was now their only option, the one that   
made every single being in the room gasp.  
  
"Self-detonate the ship in 3 minutes. Everyone evacuate into the water. Bring the  
lifeboats, but don't use them until we are safely out of harm's way and out of their firing range. Be very careful; please avoid being purposefully seen."  
  
Nobody moved.  
  
Sally had to practically roar "That was an order! Did you not hear my instructions,  
officers? Do I need to repeat them again?"  
  
Thoroughly shaken, everyone got out, just as the enemy mobile suits began to fire   
at the control tower.  
  
Sally urged everyone out, just as the rightmost computer exploded in a spray of   
chips, shrapnel, and glass. She shielded herself as the one on the left exploded moments   
after the last, showering her honey-colored hair with the same contents. She looked up when  
the shower ended, and that was when everything went black.  
  
* * *  
  
Wufei waited anxiously outside the Emergency Room. The other four pilots watched   
his silence build more than ever before.   
  
Not even Duo said a word. In fact, he hadn't smiled for the two days that Sally had  
been in the E.R. Of course, some were thankful for that, but at the same time were   
troubled by it.  
  
The Chinese pilot looked at the ceiling, the first movement he had done in a few   
hours. He went over the week's events.  
  
I guess it all happened when Sally sent me that message, the daily message, the   
one that she sent almost everyday. The daily report; we were partners after all, so she   
sent me one or two reports a day, didn't she? But it was different on - what was the day?   
Thursday? No, it was Friday.  
  
Friday the thirteenth of October.  
  
But it was different this time. She sent me an e-mail that I ignored for several   
hours, thinking it could wait, but that time, I was the one who was wrong.  
  
It showed me, when I finally had the chance to open it, that there was a new enemy,  
an enemy called the Conquistadors. I didn't even know what that meant, so I looked it up.   
  
Conquistador: one of the Spanish conquerors of Mexico and Peru in the 16th century.  
  
And now, the woman who sent me that very message is in the Emergency Room. Funny,   
I haven't cried yet. The others are all crying inside, like me. He cast a glance at Heero.  
Even Heero looks as if Relena just died.  
  
And then what happened, Wufei Chang, the man who calls himself a warrior?  
  
He answered his own question. I read on, and found that I was supposed to e-mail   
her as soon as I got this message. And I had disobeyed her. She wouldn't have her computer  
to answer me from; she told me she was going to L5 after she had written the message.  
  
And now, Wufei, how do you feel about your, let's say, little mistake?  
  
Wufei hesitated at this question.  
  
I feel guilty.  
  
How guilty?  
  
So guilty that if it were an illness, I would've died from it long ago.   
  
Why?  
  
If I had read that e-mail then, I could've told everyone: the other pilots, Noin,   
Hilde, Relena, Milliardo, Dorothy, Catherine, everyone that could help.  
  
And?  
  
"I didn't."  
  
The other four pilots looked at him. Only Duo could pluck the courage to say,   
"What was that, Wufei?"  
  
Wufei looked back at him, not realizing that he had used "Wufei" instead of   
"Wu-man". Then shook his head and muttered "Nadaima" under his breath. Obviously no one   
believed him, so he repeated, "I said, it was nothing."  
  
After that statement, Wufei went back into his lapse of silence.  
  
* 2 days later *  
  
Sally opened her eyes a crack. I'm alive. Must be a miracle.  
  
She felt a weight on her left hand. She tried to turn her head, but was being held  
straight by something. So she tried to turn her body over and immediately regretted her   
decision.  
  
Pain exploded in every part of her body. Colored lights clouded her vision and she  
couldn't muffle the, "Ah!" that came from her mouth. She felt the weight on her hand leave.  
The next thing she saw was Wufei's face, peering concernedly at her.   
  
"You're awake, Sally."  
  
Sally resisted the urge to punch him and answered, "Isn't that obvious, Wufei?"   
  
Wufei snorted. "I see that even though you're injured in about a million different  
places, your arrogance remains."  
  
Sally tried to smile, but her jaw didn't seem to work. "Yes, Wufei."  
  
"I'll go tell the others that you're awake." His eyes lingered a moment longer than  
usual on Sally's calm face, and Sally knew what he was thinking. He'll never tell me; but  
there's always a chance I might tell him. So naive, he is.  
  
I wonder what he was thinking when he fell asleep by my bed.   
  
She sighed, watching the wind billow the almost transparent drapes around the   
window. She heard the telltale bang of a door being shut and after a few more moments, she  
heard a gasp and a hand grasping each finger of both hands. She managed to stifle a laugh  
when she heard Duo's frantic, "Hey! Why do you guys get to hold her hands and I don't have  
a finger?"  
  
"Too bad", Wufei answered, "maybe it was a good thing you didn't."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Sally started to laugh, but her chest hurt and she ended up coughing. Willing hands  
patted her back and she calmed down. "I think Wufei was right, Duo", she smiled.   
  
Duo made a shocked face. "Who's side are you on, Sally?" he sniffed piteously,"I'm  
hurt."  
  
Everyone in the room with the exception of Duo snorted desersively.  
  
Sally laughed.  
  
* * *  
  
Quatre hummed happily to himself. He paused only for a moment to cast a glance at   
the other four pilots, then at the street ahead. Only another block or two to go. Then I   
can go take a good nap. He hummed, then began to whistle a happy song.   
  
Trowa looked at each of his fellow pilots and sighed under his breath. Everything was   
O.K., but the news from Sally today was disturbing. He turned his thoughts to the last hour.  
  
* * *  
  
"Why were you so injured, Sally? We found you drifting in space. I was purely by   
chance that Quatre's shuttle from the Mars Terraforming Project saw you on the heat sensor.  
Man, to think that we might've never found you. Sally, the Lord above is surely saving   
you from the mishaps of today to live until tomorrow", Duo looked kindly at the figure on   
the bed.  
  
Everyone looked at Duo. They realized in an instant that he had never said anything  
about his belief in God until now.   
  
Sally ignored the comment and continued on why she sent for them. "The reason I was  
so injured was because was on the ship Bloody Mary. While I was still on Earth for   
vacation, I just happened to stumble upon a site. Not just any site, but a fitness site. I  
went in, but when I clicked on the icon for different exercises, I was in a totally   
different place. I read even more, and I discovered there was a password on the bottom. I  
was going to break it, but when I glanced up at the clock, it was almost time to go to L5.   
Before I could even get up, the alarm for red alert came on and I rushed to the command   
tower."  
  
"When I got there, I found the attackers were the very people who had made that   
website that I found a few hours ago. Their name is the Conquistadors, which means the   
Spanish that conquered Mexico and Peru a long time ago. They fired at the ship's bulk first,  
then at the spare mobile suits, then at the control center. I told everyone to evacuate   
because I would self-denote the ship."  
  
"Why didn't you just use the mobile suits that were in the hangar?", Heero asked,   
casting a look in her direction.  
  
"I couldn't. They attacked the bulk first, so the way was blocked."  
  
"Why didn't the ship explode?"  
  
"They used laser beams to carve the bottom out, just missing the quarter's level and  
the top part of the ship."  
  
This caused a murmur of confusion among the pilots. "No mobile suit has built in   
laser beams, Sally. What model was it? Aries?"  
Sally nodded, but said, "I never said they had built in laser beams. They were   
carrying laser guns."   
* * *  
  
"So! What do you think, Trowa?", Duo's voice interrupted his thoughts.   
  
"What about?"  
  
The other pilots looked amazed. "I don't believe it! Trowa wasn't paying attention  
to our animated conversation!", Duo put his hands on his hips. "Now that's a first."  
  
"What was your "animated conversation" about, Duo?"  
  
"Basketball", Wufei answered for him before Duo could even open his mouth.   
  
"Don't take my line next time, Wu-man!"  
  
"Don't call me that!"  
  
Duo made a funny face at Wufei and started to run, shouting behind him, "Wu-man,   
Wu-man, Wu-man, come and catch me, Wu-man!" An enraged Wufei took Duo's offer and sped   
after the retreating figure. A few minutes later, they heard a started "Aargh!" and a "Ha   
ha! You're still not fast enough, Wu-man". After that was a startled squawk. Quatre tried  
hard to stifle the laughter bubbling inside, and both Trowa and Heero allowed a small smile   
to come across their faces.  
  
* * *   
  
Far away in space, a man stroked his chin thoughtfully.  
  
"Hmm..."  
  
/ \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \   
  
Author's note:  
  
So what d'ya think? Good for the prologue? I hope so. I don't know what came over  
me; I just had to write something. My fingers were itching for a computer! Well, anyway,  
I hope you like it.  
  
Explanatory note:  
  
This takes place after Endless Waltz, so you should know that story first. Just to   
clear up some things!  
  
Andrea Weiling  



	2. Versailles

Chapter 1  
  
The shock came the day after the meeting.  
  
Wufei was typing away at the computer. He scanned the messages that had just come   
in. Resting his head in the crook of his elbow, he clicked the topmost message.  
  
He froze.  
  
The message read:  
She's gone. If you want her back, come to the Burgundy train station at   
9:00PM sharp tomorrow.  
Wufei had to read the message 3 times before it sank in. Instead of panicking (like he   
wanted to do), he called the hospital. The secretary at the counter checked and saw that   
Sally Po from room 205 had been released from the hospital. A woman named Dorothy Catalonia  
had taken her to her house.  
  
So it was obvious who Wufei called next. Unfortunately, Dorothy wasn't home.   
Wufei had no choice but to tell the rest of the pilots.  
  
* * *  
  
"What?! You can't be lying, but seriously, Wufei, Sally being kidnapped? This   
isn't funny!", Duo slammed his palms onto the oak dining table.  
  
Wufei simply led them to his room and clicked into his inbox.  
  
It was empty.  
  
"Well, where is it?"  
  
Wufei checked his folder for Sally's previous message.  
  
It wasn't there.   
  
"Where is it, Wufei?", Duo urged.   
  
"I don't know. My guess is that the Conquistadors have my password and they've   
destroyed it."  
  
"No matter", Heero started. "We will believe everything you say. All you have to   
do is tell us what you know so far."  
  
Wufei's face showed relief. "Really?'  
  
"Yes."  
  
On hearing Wufei's story, they all went back to their respective rooms to see what   
they could rack up.   
  
After a few minutes, Heero heard a knock on his door.  
  
"Come in."  
  
Heero was surprised to see it was Wufei. "What do you want?"  
  
"I've come to make a request."  
  
Heero didn't even turn around or stop typing. "Shoot."  
  
"I called the hospital. It seems that Sally was released and signed out by Dorothy."  
  
Now Heero stopped and turned around. "Dorothy Catalonia?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I presume you want me to call Relena to see if she can get the truth out of   
Dorothy." Heero turned back around and started typing again. Not until he heard Wufei   
leave the room did he pick up the phone by his desk and punch in Relena's cellular number.  
  
* * *  
  
Relena stopped. "My phone. Probably another advertisement." She said a "hello?"   
and almost dropped the phone.  
  
"Heero! Why are you calling? Did something happen to Sally?"  
  
She knows me way too well, Heero thought.  
  
There was a pause at the other end. "Is Dorothy with you?", Heero's voice asked.  
  
Relena searched and double-checked ,"No, when I called in the morning, she said she   
had gone over to the hospital to see Sally."  
  
"Who's with you then?"  
  
"Noin and Hilde."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Sally has been kidnapped."  
  
Heero had to hold the phone a foot from his ear at Relena's reply. Unfortunately,   
he didn't avoid all of it.   
  
"What!? Heero, who could have done such a thing. "Despicable horror! Heero, I'm   
coming over to your place now."  
  
Poor Heero didn't even have the chance to open his mouth to object before the line clicked off. After a few seconds for confirmation that Relena had actually left the line, he sighed and went back to typing.  
  
* * *  
  
Noin sat back until she was resting with her back on the soft cushions.  
  
Heero continued to speak ,"Sally is gone without a trace. The new enemy, or   
Conquistadors, have taken many pains to cover up any evidence they might've missed." After  
that, he got up and left.  
  
Noin wrinkled her forehead in a frown. "What's up with him?"  
  
Duo half-sighed and explained ,"He's just as nervous and jumpy as any one of us here."  
  
All were silent for a moment, lost in their own thoughts.  
  
"Why do you think they captured Sally?", Quatre's soft voice broke everyone's   
concentration.   
  
Noin's frown deepened. "I don't know. We can only wait and find out."  
  
* * *  
Sally came awake slowly. She wondered where she was...the air smelled different...  
this definitely wasn't her room...  
  
Her eyes snapped open at the thought that she had been captured. She tried to twist  
her head around, but after a few tries in the darkness, she realized she was strapped to a  
chair.  
  
"So you're awake I see, Ex-major Sally Po."  
  
Sally held her head up high and snorted. "Humph! You bet I am! Just let me go and  
I'll-" a finger crossed her lips. Enraged, Sally bit it. The person, whoever it was, took  
it away, hissing in pain. "You'll pay for that, Sally", a voice whispered savagely in her   
ear.  
  
Sally stopped when she recognized the voice. "Lieutenant Hitchcock!"  
  
The Lieutenant's laughter rang tauntingly in the small confines of the cell. "So,   
the Major has found my identity. Took you long enough, Sally. How is your dear Wufei   
doing? He's not hurt, is he..."  
  
"Don't you dare lay a finger on Wufei! You touch a hair on that boy's head and you  
have me to answer to when I bust out of here!"   
  
The Lieutenant tipped Sally's face to face his. The half-Chinese looked at the face  
she had hated all these years and without warning, she spat. Hitchcock wiped the spit with  
a corner of his sleeve. To Sally's disgust, he was smiling.   
  
"Very good, ex-Major Sally. Still have that old fiery spirit. Good, good. You'll  
need it for what you're going to go through soon..."  
  
Sally was once again enveloped in darkness, and she began to struggle against her   
bonds until the ropes were lathered with blood. Only one thought kept her going.  
  
Wufei, where are you? Are you hurt? I have to see if you're all right!  
  
Sally couldn't measure the hours she spent in that hellhole. All she knew that was  
she was falling. Falling, falling, into the grateful, welcoming arms of sleep.  
  
* * *  
Wufei was about to go crazy.   
  
Where could that woman go? Why do they want her?  
  
You know very well why they want her.  
  
Wufei stopped pacing at that thought.  
  
She knew what was happening. The Conquistadors will come for you soon, Wufei.  
  
Shut up, Wufei!, one voice said.  
  
Will not!  
  
This is injustice! Shut up! You're acting like a weak woman!  
  
Wufei's eyes widened. Suddenly it was clear to him.  
  
That's what Sally wanted me to know. She wanted to prove that women were not as   
weak as I'd thought them to be.  
  
It's clear now. Thank you, Sally, for the lesson that took me too long of a time   
to learn.  
  
Women are the same as men. Not in the same way, but in the brains and the guts to  
stand up for what they believe in. We do the job, only sometimes getting the clear meaning  
of it.  
  
Then why was she fighting?  
  
To save herself, of course. To spread the word.  
  
"I got it. Sally wanted me to know that people were created equally."  
  
"What did you say, Wufei?", Duo's voice interrupted his thoughts.  
  
"Uh, nothing."  
  
Duo shook his head. "Yeah, really, Wu-man, nothing, aye? I heard exactly what you  
said, it's just that I don't believe you could ever understand or even further accept the   
theory."  
  
Wufei smiled, and his smile got larger at the confidence in his words. "Well, I do,  
so you can't say a thing."  
  
"Oh, yes I can."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Congrats, Wu-man."  
  
"Don't call me that. I'm not a weakling such as you. I don't need a nickname."  
  
* * *  
  
Wufei was just passing Heero's room, still in his good mood, when the Japanese   
pilot's door opened. Heero's cobalt eyes showed the faintest spark of surprise. "Were you   
waiting for me? I didn't hear a knock."  
  
"No, I was just on my way to my room. Why?", Wufei's energetic mood dropped away at  
Heero's next words.  
  
"I found where Sally is. She's being kept in the dungeon of the old French palace   
of Versailles, in the outskirts of Paris."  
  
Wufei shook with anger. "What's the site?"  
  
Heero turned away to go back into his room. "I won't tell you because you'll only   
get madder and do some stupid things like going to Versailles alone and getting back Sally   
by yourself."  
  
Wufei slammed his fist on the wall. How could he read my mind like that?  
  
"If you're thinking why I know your little plan, well, it's actually written all   
over your face."  
  
Wufei could've cried in shame there.  
  
"Well, don't just stand there, go to your room and find out what that site is. I'm  
not telling you the site, but I told you the place, didn't I? While you're at it, tell the   
others that we'll have a meeting after dinner", Heero turned and closed the door with a   
slight click behind him.   
  
Wufei rushed to his room as fast as he possibly could.  
  
/ \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \  
  
Author's note:  
  
So, how is it? You intrigued yet? Well, whatever you're thinking, I hope it's   
good. *AHEM* Looking back on all that Wufei-realized-that-people-were-equal part? I frankly  
thought it was a piece of fluff. Ignore it. I promise it won't come up later on the story.  
  
Andrea Weiling  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Torn Love

Chapter 2   
  
"Meeting? Today? But I have to go to the Preventer meeting today! Is there any   
way that Heero could reschedule it?", Noin almost yelled into the receiver.   
  
There was a pause at the other end of the phone. Then Wufei answered ,"I'll check.   
Call you back later. If he cannot change the schedule, I will tell you what happened at   
the meeting sometime tomorrow."  
  
Noin was relieved. Well, at least I have a backup, she thought. "Thanks, Wufei.  
Say, aren't you supposed to attend the Preventer meeting too?"  
  
"No, Hilde's taking notes for me. I think Sally's abduction is more important to me  
than a Preventer meeting. So, no, I'm not going."  
  
"Oh", said Noin, crestfallen. "I see. Ja, then. Good luck at the meeting; let's  
hope that Heero can reschedule it."  
  
Wufei responded with a "Hn" and the line at the other end of Noin's clicked off.   
She sighed and put down the receiver. "Well, I have to get to work, since I'm the hostess   
of tonight's Preventer meeting", she muttered to no one in particular.  
  
"What is that you said, Noin?", Miliardo's voice floated over to her ears from the   
next room over.   
  
"Nothing", Noin said back. She waited for an answer, and upon getting none, she   
turned back to her work and strained to concentrate.   
  
I can't concentrate. Probably because of all the excitement of Sally getting   
captured. 'Course, I'm not very happy that we lost one of our best agents to some stupid   
guy... Oh well, better wait 'till further news-  
  
"Beep beep beep!"  
  
Phone, again. Wonder what they want this time. Ah, whatever.  
  
"Moshi moshi?", she spoke wearily into the receiver.  
  
"Noin. This is Aurora Borealis speaking."  
  
Quatre!  
  
"Qua - sorry - Aurora Borealis, what do you think you're doing?"  
  
"Don't go to the Preventer meeting tonight. They're going to bomb the agency.   
Don't go. Promise me, Noin, that you won't go!"  
  
What is he trying to pull? Some kinda prank?  
  
"What are you talking about? I have to go to the meeting!"  
  
"Warn everyone that the place you're going to be at will be bombed at 7:00PM. I'm   
not lying or playing a prank. I'm serious. Warn as many people as you can, Noin. Keep   
Relena safe."  
  
The line clicked off.  
  
What the hell...well, better safe than sorry. Better start calling.  
  
She dialed the first number that came to mind, and to her delight, someone answered  
it.   
  
"Zechs Marquise speaking."  
  
"Zechs, don't go the meeting tonight. There's gonna be a bomb thrown at us. Quatre  
just called; he promised that it wasn't a lie."  
  
Zechs stopped. Then answered ,"Noin, I'm just next door. Why didn't you just run   
over and tell me?"  
  
Noin fumbled for an answer. "Um, because I forgot?"  
  
Next door, Zechs shook his head sadly. Sheesh, what's happening anyway?  
  
"Noin, answer me. Why did you go over to the pilot's house yesterday? And the day   
before, to the hospital to see someone? Is there someone else on your mind that I don't   
know about?"  
  
Noin gasped. "Oh, no, of course not. It's just I hesitated before I dragged you   
into this mess."  
  
"What 'mess'?"  
  
"Sally's been kidnapped, but before she left, Wufei got a message from her stating   
that there's a new enemy. The Conquistadors. That's why I'm so tensed up."  
  
Miliardo stiffened. A new enemy? Impossible! Well, maybe not totally impossible,   
but they couldn't have hidden their tracks so well that Heero couldn't have broken into it.  
  
"You're talking nonsense. Heero would've found them. Right?"  
  
"He'd been looking at the wrong place."  
  
Noin could hear a sigh at the other end. The voice crackled to life. "Well, then,  
what're we to do?"  
  
"Call everyone and tell them to stay out of the Preventer meeting."  
  
"Should we publicize this?"  
  
"No, don't hide it so the reporters can't dig it out, but don't put it on a   
microphone to the world and tell everybody. That would just encourage the Conquistadors to   
hide their tracks better."  
  
"Arigato. Ja."  
  
"Ja."  
  
The line clicked off, only two of the important lines that Noin received that day.  
  
* * *  
"So, Heero, is there any way that you could reschedule the meeting?", Wufei asked.  
  
"No need to. Quatre's called Noin and she's spreading the word that there'll be a   
bomb at 7:00 tonight at the Civic Center, so no one's going to end up going", Heero typed   
faster at this statement, as if it had made him stronger.   
  
"Fine. I'll see you at dinner, then", Wufei turned and left the room.   
  
The last thing he remembered was something hitting his head.   
  
* * *  
Sally awoke at the sound of the prison door opening. What the...I wonder what they   
want with me this time. That lunatic Hitchcock sure is persistent...  
  
Sally wasn't even surprised when Lieutenant Hitchcock himself appeared at the door.  
"See? I have a present for you, Major Sally. I think you'll like it. It'll be arriving  
soon, if not now...Anyways, I need to go. Matters to attend to, of course. Well, see you  
soon, my darling Sally."  
  
Sally snarled like a rabid animal and yelled ,"You'll pay for that when I get out of  
this hellhole! You should learn to treat your prisoners with more respect, and maybe then   
I'll come along quietly!", before the door shut with a clank. Sally settled back in her   
chair and tried to get the manacles off of her. She had struggled so hard on the ropes that  
they had broken, but at that moment, the Lieutenant walked in, and they restrained her.   
  
She heard something. Figures. Must be the darn present he was talking about.  
  
Suddenly the manacles fell from her hands. I'm free?  
  
A door opened on the other side of the room and something fell out of it, ploughing  
into her.   
  
"Ouch. What's the big idea, whatever you are?"  
  
The bundle of flesh on her lap did not move.   
  
"Hey. You awake?"  
  
No answer.  
  
Must be asleep or dead. Does Hitchcock believe that I would succumb to him by a   
dead person's smell? My, my, Hitchcock has gone straight to the loony bin.  
  
Sally felt around for a hand or a head. When she finally distinguished right and   
left, she took up the right hand and felt for a pulse. Not finding one, she tried for the   
neck. It was beating there, so she must've missed it at the right hand wrist.  
  
Something fell out of the guy's neck and onto her hand. Sally felt its shape and   
gasped.  
  
This...this is Wufei's identification that he was once a member of the Dragon Clan.  
What's it doing here? It can't be - that -   
  
She felt the man's features. An angular nose, deeply set in eyes that were strictly  
Asian, and a tiny pigtail at the nape of his neck.  
  
It's Wufei!  
  
"Wufei! Wake up! It's me, Sally!"  
  
The figure did not move from her lap or in any way.  
  
Sally felt the figure's clothes. There was an outside cloak, just like the one  
Wufei always wore, training pants, and soft-soled practice shoes. The person was   
unmistakably Wufei.  
  
Just as she was giving up hope that the Chinese would ever wake up, Wufei groaned   
and rubbed his eyes. "Huh?", he said, puzzled at the darkness.  
  
"Wufei! It's me, Sally!"  
  
One half of Wufei's mind said ,"Nonsense! Sally is locked in the dungeon of the   
French palace Versailles!" and the other half said ,"Sally! I'm so glad to...uh...hear   
your voice!"  
  
"Oh. Good afternoon, woman."  
  
Sally snorted. "We're in the bottom of the prison in some rickety old castle, and I  
can't seem to find a way out."  
  
Wufei, still half - asleep, said drowsily ,"What? We're won the lottery off some  
abysmally old tassel, and wouldn't seam the words out? You're making no sense, woman!"  
  
Sally replied by grabbing his shoulders, emphasizing every word with a shake of his  
shoulders. "I - SAID - WE - ARE - BOTH - IN - THE - BOTTOM - OF - SOME - GODFORSAKEN -   
PRISON - AND - I - CAN'T - FIND - A - WAY - OUT!"  
  
NOW Wufei was awake. "No way out? How did I end up in here?"  
  
"Don't ask me that! What was the last thing you remember?"  
  
"Everything going black, something hitting my head...I was going down to dinner...  
if this is the place you say it is, this is the French palace of Versailles, several miles   
away from Paris", Wufei detached Sally's white fingers from his shoulders and crossed his   
arms. "If that's the best they can do, the Conquistadors are losing their touch."  
  
"Wufei. Come here," Sally felt around until she found his hand. When it enveloped  
hers in return, she found herself blushing. God, his hands are warm. Quite comforting...  
Snap out of it, Sally!  
  
"What is it, woman?", Wufei took his hand from hers, ignoring the unseen pink that   
was rising fast behind his cheeks. "Have you found a way out?"  
  
Sally snorted. "Why don't you try to find a way out? Why do women have to do all   
the work?"  
  
Wufei had no answer to that, so he shut up.  
  
"See, you don't have an answer to that! Take that!", Sally ruffled his hair with no  
success; his head was so plastered to his scalp that it felt like it had all been glued on.  
  
"Don't touch my hair, woman!"  
  
"Don't call me that!"  
  
"Give me 100 reasons not to, woman!"  
  
Annoyed, Sally aimed a blow at his lousy head, forgetting that is complete darkness  
and he couldn't see it. Sally felt it hit home as it knocked Wufei's proud nose astray.  
  
"What was that for?", Wufei tried to hit her back, but he hit nothing but air;   
Sally's eyes had long gotten used to the darkness and could see it coming.  
  
"Aha! You forgot!"  
  
Wufei was nonplused. "Forgot what?"  
  
"Forgot to add it!"  
  
Wufei went over the last few minutes. "You mean 'woman'?"  
  
Sally hit Wufei again. "I told you not to call me that! Be respectful to your   
elders, Wufei, and keep that nose down! I want to see 100 pushups right now!"  
  
Wufei obediently got down on all fours, but he changed his mind and asked ,"Why  
should I, woman?"  
  
Sally stuck out an unseen tongue at him, and said jeeringly ," 'Cause you want to   
stay in shape, doncha? Don't want everyone to comment how fat you are when you get out of   
this place, do you?"  
  
Wufei spent the next hour and a half doing pushups, painfully enduring Sally's   
comments. It seemed that Sally still remembered a good portion of her time as a Major.   
Wufei's pride hurt more and more, and finally he gave up and sat down, readying himself for  
a blow to the head, or a kick that he would hopefully dodge.  
  
Nothing came.  
  
Wufei was getting worried. When nothing happened for about half a minute, he   
ventured a timid ,"Sally? Are you there?"  
  
Nothing answered.  
  
He got used to the silence, and when a scream rippled the air, he jumped, and found  
in his meditation time, someone had put shackles on his hands and feet, as well as an iron  
ball at the end of a chain. Like a prisoner.  
  
"Sally?"  
  
Another scream richoetted off the walls of the tiny cell.  
  
Suddenly there came a sliding sound from his right and his shackles came free and   
disappeared.  
  
"Catch her, Wufei Chang...", a male voice called from the now open door.  
  
Wufei obeyed, and after he put her down carefully, he turned to the door. "Who're   
you?"  
  
The man laughed, sending shivers up and down Wufei's back, and succeeding in making  
him even madder.   
  
"I'm the person who ordered your capture, Wufei Chang, the lone survivor of the   
Dragon Clan. Shame on you, letting them die like that...pity, they were courageous, and   
quite stupid, actually, to let such an idiot like you take their sacred traditions out into   
the world...shame, shame, shame..."  
  
Wufei dipped his head down, knowing his enormous mistake, wishing that the ground   
would open up and swallow him.   
  
"...Wu...fei..."  
  
Wufei glanced down and saw Sally's eyes were open a crack. He knelt and held back   
the stray, messy hair that was once so proudly held in two coits around her face.   
  
"Don't...believe...him...Wufei...he's bluffing...lying...don't think ...his words...  
are...true...", Sally's voice was barely audible, but Wufei caught every word, hanging on   
for more.  
  
"Oh, yes", the man in the door said again, catching Wufei's attention. "Sally was a  
very pleasant partner with me today...her body is most beautiful, most curved...You chose   
well for female companionship, Wufei Chang. " And with another laugh, the door was closed.  
  
Wufei's vision went red in the fading light. Setting down Sally, he raced to the   
closing door, yelling ,"Coward! Come and face me like a man!" He reached the door just as  
it closed, and howled with all his might, like a wounded dog with no place to go except for  
in his cage. After a while, he ran out of breath, and went back to Sally. He gasped at   
her state.  
  
Sally was breathing shallowly, her face contorted in a tight grimace. She had   
lashes all over her body, and her clothes were half gone; only the necessities were covered.   
She was shivering, and Wufei quickly sacrificed his treasured overcoat to bundle her up.   
He was careful, but even though he tried not to touch her wounds, Sally hissed with pain at  
every place.   
  
"Thank...you...Wu...fei...go...to...sleep...conserve your...ener...gy."  
  
"What for? I'm not getting out of this place without you, Sally?"  
  
Sally tried to laugh, but she coughed blood when she did.   
  
"Baka...why save me?", she choked up another bit of blood. "I'll be dead by morning  
...anyway..."  
  
Wufei's eyes started to cloud. No! Not now! I can't cry now!  
  
"Sally...don't say that. It'll be okay...you'll see...they'll come for us, I know   
they will!"  
  
"Wufei...you have such...a...big heart...Use it well...for the things that matter  
...You have a longer time...in front of you...save yourself first..."  
  
Tears trembled at the points of the Chinese's eyes, now, and threatened to spill   
over. "Don't say that, Sally! C'mon, just hold on, help will come soon", he wiped away   
several tears. He froze as a hand gently wiped them away, a hand that had caressed that   
very same cheek just a year ago.  
  
* Flashback *  
  
"Oh, no, you don't!"  
  
"Give it up, woman!"  
  
"It's not even yours! It's mine! And don't call me 'woman'!"  
  
"I'll call you what I want! And they are *my* documents; they're about me! Hand   
them over!"  
  
"Never! Not before I read them! Lady Une gave them to me to read, and that's what  
I'm going to do! These were salvaged from what was L5. There was a whole entire pagoda   
labeled 'The Library' that was totally intact. No one knows if the Dragon Clan did it on   
purpose or not, but they had your files, floating out in space. They were all mixed up, and   
Lady Une took special care to put them in order!"  
  
Finally, the bag broke apart, and documents spilled all over. Wufei picked one off  
from the ground, but Sally snatched it and put it back in the folder. He tried to get at   
another one and read it, but he had just read "Name : Sally Po" when she also took that one  
out of his hand. One by one, they were taken away, until none were left on the floor, and   
all of them were in Sally's arms. She was comfortably reading them in her hand, but Wufei   
risked another grab at them. Again they fell out of her hand, but Sally had read them all   
already.   
  
"You didn't seriously read all of those, did you, woman?", Wufei growled dangerously  
at his partner.  
  
"I'm not in the Preventer's agency for nothing, you know, Wufei."  
  
Somehow, the subject of their conversation got to him. "Wufei, I need to ask you   
something. Do you feel comfortable here? Can you concentrate? Do you think you fit in?"  
  
Wufei was startled at this question. "Yes...most of the time."  
  
Sally glanced sharply back at his back. "What do you mean 'most of the time'?"  
  
"I feel out of place. Sometimes."  
  
"How? We all try and fit you in, but well, you don't want to have us as your   
friends, do you? Tell me the truth, Wufei. We all have our secrets, but it is one thing   
from keeping it from a person who trusts you to a friend."  
  
"Well...these are different surroundings, and they will take some time getting used  
to."  
  
"Why do you feel uncomfortable around us? Your fellow pilots?"  
  
"I don't. I'm not used to be surrounded by people and the annoying press, though."  
  
Wufei's chin was steered upwards into Sally's kind face.   
  
"Make the time that you need to get used to everything short. Don't worry, we'll be  
with you the entire way, Wufei", she glanced at the clock, it's monotonous hands still   
ticking in the same direction. "I have a meeting to attend. I'll take notes for you, but   
in this time I'm gone, I want you to think of what we've done for you, compared to what   
you've done for us. If it makes it easier, write them down, but concentrate on that, and   
that only."  
  
Tender fingers stroked his cheek lovingly before Sally got us and to the door. Then  
the door closed and she was gone.  
  
Leaving a *very* confused Wufei.  
  
* * *  
  
"Don't cry, Wufei", Sally summoned the last of her energy and wiped the tears away,  
her now wet hand leaving trails of silver across his cheeks. "Yes, I know everything will  
be all right. So you just hush and take a nap. I'll wake you when help comes", she lay   
down herself, her eyes now unclouded and wary.  
  
But Wufei couldn't sleep.  
  
He realized it was quiet in the chamber. Too quiet for his taste.  
  
"Sally, I can't get to sleep. Talk to me, and maybe I'll get to sleep."  
  
There was no answer.  
  
"Sally?", Wufei asked, his voice ringing slightly in the small walls of his prison   
cell.  
  
Dread filled him, and he scampered over to Sally and pressed two fingers against her  
throat.  
  
There was no pulse.  
  
He tried again.  
  
He had been right the first time. There was simply no pulse.  
  
"Sally! Wake up! Didn't you said you'd wake me up when help arrived? So where's   
the wake - up call? You promised you'd wake me up..."  
  
"Right?"  
  
Wufei felt childish then. A child, lost in a world that is empty and devoid of   
everything. Nothing was left for him. Sally had been his last lifeline.  
  
She was gone.  
  
Now, he was the one who stroked her face and said the words she had said a year ago.  
  
"We'll be there the entire way, Wufei...You lied, Sally. You didn't know that you   
would die today, just a year after you said that. And I never got to say it."  
  
"Those words I wanted to tell you. But I'll say it now, to make me stop crying."  
  
"Aisheteru, Sally."  
  
And so, Sally Po, age 21, died on May 21, as a brave Preventer officer that risked   
everything for the one she loved.  
  
/ \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \  
  
Author's note:  
  
*sniffs* Sorry, all you Sally fans. I didn't want to do it. I was emotionally   
tortured into doing this, because it makes the story go along a little faster, and a little  
more exciting. But for all you Sally/Wufei fans, I am extremely sorry. My friends   
practically strangled me when they read this, but I'm glad that no one can strangle me   
over the Internet.  
  
Andrea Weiling  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. Escape and Betrayal

Chapter 3   
  
"What? You knew? Why didn't you tell us before? Sally and Wufei, wherever they   
are, may even be dead right now, and you tell us that Sally had a radar watch on her all the  
time?!", Duo lunged himself at Colonel Chavin, and held the official up by the scruff of   
the shirt at his neck. "Well, who's face should I beat to a pulp today? Is it yours?", Duo  
nodded in a computer technician. "Or you?", he gestured with his head at the frantically   
typing worker who immediately stopped and turned around. "Or is it you, Colonel, whose face  
I should punch in today? The death of 2 people who I called friend, is caused by this...  
ignorant mistake!" Duo raised his hand to punch, but Heero caught his fist. When Duo   
looked mad enough to punch the Japanese, Heero let go, but shook his head slightly, and Duo  
let the colonel down.  
  
He pointed an accusing finger at the colonel, and jabbed it at his chest. "Where is  
the signal coming from? Show us the map!"  
  
Colonel Chavin hastily led them over to a computer. "There", he pointed to a   
blinking red dot in a field of neon green and black.   
  
Heero sat down in his chair. He began to type madly, breaking every password and   
every page was skimmed over, barely read. Finally, the monitor showed the dot was coming   
from a place about 30 minutes away from Paris.  
  
Everyone in the room groaned. "We knew that! Where in the palace is are they kept   
is what Duo Maxwell wants to know! We already knew she was being imprisoned at the palace   
of Versailles in France, so we need to find out specifically where it's coming from", Duo   
was tapping his foot in a futile attempt to keep his anger in check. His words were coming   
out between gritted teeth.   
  
Colonel Chavin trembled mightily and said in a squeaky voice ,"We don't have a map   
of the palace, so we can't pinpoint it -"  
  
"What?!", more than one person yelled. "Now you tell us!"  
  
Lady Une shook her head. "I'm putting this branch of the Preventers under new   
management when this is over. For now...", the Lady shook her head. "We'll leave it as it  
is." When Duo, Quatre, and Trowa frowned at her (Heero was too busy typing at the computer),  
she raised her hands up to the sky in exasperation. "There's simply no time to do anything  
today! Or yesterday! All attacks! I still haven't check the daily report for the attempt  
of self - destruction that L4 tried to do the day before yesterday!"  
  
Everyone was surprised when a small form parted the busy crowd and tugged at the   
Lady's sleeve. Lady Une bent down and lifted the sleepy face us toward her own tired face.   
"Yes, Mariemeiya, what's the matter?"  
  
The little redhead rubbed her eyes sleepily and when she lowered her hands, she   
asked quite innocently ,"What's going on, Lady Une?"  
  
Behind the Commander's eyes flashed as slight look of pain and anguish. "Mariemeiya,  
dear, Wufei and Sally are missing."  
  
The little girl came awake at once, and snapped into her 'general' mode. "Where are  
they being kept? You should know that by now, right?"  
  
Heero answered for everyone ,"She and Wufei are being kept in the French palace of   
Versailles. There is a radar signal coming from both Sally and Wufei's Preventer watches,   
but we can't pinpoint it because it seems that all the maps to the palace of Versailles has   
already been covered up, not able to be seen from any Preventer station or our own computers.  
Unless someone would be able to let us use their computer for emergency, then we have no   
where to get information."  
  
Mariemeiya's eyebrows knitted slightly together, a look she had inherited from her   
deceased father. Lady Une was tempted to smile, but this was not time to smile, not when 2   
of the closest people she had ever worked with were missing.  
  
"Why didn't you put out this fire when it was still small? It has grown quite big,   
and it will continue to build; it will take everything we've got now to put it out. We   
haven't even prepared, and even if we were to try to, there are too many traitors in our   
society to know who is on which side."  
  
Not even Duo tried to joke on this one.   
  
"However, maybe it was a good thing I was awakened by your shouting, Duo Maxwell. I  
have been to Versailles in just the past year or so. Dekim took me there before we started  
the attacks. I can probably draw you a map. Paper and pencil, please", the little redhead  
shook her hand out and materials were immediately shoved into her hand. She motioned   
everyone to come in closer, and even Heero came to look.   
  
"Now, the main entrance it here, right? There's a garden in front. It's empty   
except for flowers and a fountain in the middle. When you enter the palace, you immediately  
see the great hall..."  
  
* * *  
  
By morning, Mariemeiya was fast asleep in the Lady's arms, Duo was snoring loudly,   
Quatre was half - slouched on the platform where Mariemeiya drew the directions, Trowa was   
quietly sleeping (unlike the pilot of Deathscythe), head on folded arms, but the only one   
who was still awake was Heero. After examining the map one last time, he glanced at the   
peacefully sleeping people around him, got up soundlessly and out the door. Just when he   
reached the door, something caught his ankle. He looked down and saw it was Duo.   
  
"Where are ya goin'?", he whispered, looking around also.  
  
Heero obviously couldn't shake the talkative pilot off, so he told the truth. "I'm  
going to pretend I'm a tourist. I'm going out to buy some appropriate clothes. Now, will   
you let go?"  
  
Duo grinned his infamous daredevil grin. "Only if you let me go with you?"  
  
Heero tried again in futility to shake the hand off his ankle. Now what! Look what  
trouble you got yourself into this time! A never - stopping - to - take - a - break talker!  
  
"Onegai?"  
  
Heero rolled his eyes. "Does it seem like I have a choice?"  
  
"That's as good as a yes! Let's go!", Duo got up kneeling, then risked taking his   
hand off Heero's sock. He barely missed the kick that came whistling past his ear.  
  
"Watch it", Heero warned without looking back. Duo hurried behind.  
  
* * *  
  
Wufei woke up groggily. He had the impression that something horrible happened, but  
he couldn't quite put his finger on it right now, he was too tired...  
  
He woke up as his hand touched a lifeless hand close to his. The reality of last   
night struck him like a thunderbolt.   
  
Sally's dead. She really is.  
  
Before he knew it, a tear rolled down his cheek.  
  
Then another.  
  
And another.  
  
They came raining down on Wufei's tank top, splashing their way though the flimsy   
material and dampening the skin underneath. A flood...I can't remember the last time I   
cried so hard.  
  
Ah, yes I do...it was Mother's birthday. And death day.  
  
He was so busy with his thoughts he failed to hear the click of the prison door   
opening. A voice called in ,"Wufei?"  
  
The Chinese caught himself and wiped away the last few tears that came down. He   
recognized that voice: it was Duo's. Wufei turned his head to the door and saw the outline   
of Duo's dark silhouette against the light outside. He tried to stand up, but found he only  
collapsed. The 'talkative pilot', as Heero had called him, rushed inside and helped his   
friend to stand. "Where's Sally?"  
  
Wufei heard this and felt the tears burning in the corners of his eyes. He pointed   
to the ground where his love lay.   
  
Duo gasped in sympathy, then supporting Wufei with one arm and holding Sally with   
the other, the two former pilots hobbled out. Heero was waiting in the hall. He took one   
look at Sally and shook his head sadly and sighed. He motioned to hand her over. Duo then   
did the most surprising thing: he scooped Wufei up in his arms and started to run down the   
hall.   
  
"Let go of me -", Wufei tried to speak, but he coughed a bit of blood up instead.   
Duo, unlike usual, didn't even look at the stain on his shirt.  
  
Doors were opening on every side of the hall. Shooting started and Wufei realized   
something: if Duo was holding him and the shooting was coming from behind...  
  
That meant that Duo was trying to shield him!  
  
"No, really, Duo Maxwell, put me down this instant!", Wufei tried in vain to wriggle  
out of Duo's grasp. "They want me alive, so if I surrender myself, then I might be able to   
get you two out."  
  
Duo flashed a quick grin at his Preventer friend. "Not a chance, buddy. We came   
here to get you to the front door. It's just too bad if we get killed, isn't it?"  
  
Wufei felt like crying at those words. He felt even more like crying when a bullet   
hit its mark in Duo's back. The L2 pilot stumbled a little, but regained himself and ran   
even harder.   
  
Wufei had a split second before he realized he was in the open night sky. He   
breathed in the air, welcoming it back into his body after that long in the stuffy prison   
cell.  
  
"No time to enjoy the French air, Wufei. When I count to three, I'm going to let go  
of you. You have to make it to the first car, and do it fast, cuz I'm gonna climb up behind  
cha."  
  
Wufei saw the distinct nod that was passed between Heero and Duo and knew that they   
both knew what to do.   
  
"One..."  
  
"Two..."  
  
"Three!"  
  
Wufei felt the rush of air and landed on his feet, catlike, and ran to the nearest   
car. Noin stepped quickly out and began to fire a machine gun at the soldier behind the   
slower pilots. Wufei only had time to sit before Duo and Heero piled in, and Pagan drove   
them away. Heero and Wufei both examined Sally one more time, and confirming that she was   
indeed dead, stopped the elderly driver and put her in the trunk. Then they swerved their   
head backwards and watched other black limos following them.   
  
After getting tired of waiting for the drive to end, Heero turned and realized that   
Duo was hurt. The shinigami had been shot in the back, which came to the conclusion that   
Heero came up with.   
  
"The bullet's not deep. We can wait until we get to the hospital. I could take it   
out right now, but it would hurt more without a tweezer. Wait a little, Duo."  
  
Duo nodded a little and dropped off into a restless sleep.   
  
Wufei stared out the window, at the brightly fluorescent lamps that were stationed   
on lampposts. He thought back to the last few days of torture and shuddered. Sally's death  
was a sudden surprise, but I guess it was predictable. And now that I'm a little more over   
it, I feel...  
  
Empty. Devoid of anything.  
  
My mind is still working. That's strange, I thought it had shut down a long time   
ago.  
  
Sally's dead.  
  
Wufei stopped dead at that statement.  
  
Did I really mean what I said back there in the Versailles prison? Did I really   
love her? Was I truthful, like I'd been to Meiran?  
  
Meiran's dead, Wufei reminded himself. You yourself was the cause of her death.  
  
She forgave me. That matters too.   
  
Yes, the voice agreed. But even though you ignored her for most of your pathetic  
marriage, you still wept when she was buried, and put into the ground, never to be seen   
again.  
  
Back to the subject, the other voice argued back.  
  
Wufei softly mouthed words, but no sound came out. Heero read them and realized   
they made no sense at all.  
  
The car drove on, it's passengers (except one) oblivious to the fact that Wufei had   
left his heart, his soul, and his life behind.  
  
* * *  
  
"Here, help me get Wufei out", Duo grunted and strained, favoring his arms rather   
than his injured back. Heero obliged and slung Wufei over his shoulder. Quatre and Trowa   
held Sally in front of them and everyone filed in the hospital.   
  
Almost immediately they were surrounded by Conquistador soldiers, and Heero realized  
that they all had guns.   
  
Damn. Too many of the bastards have surrounded us, he thought. Grabbing a gun   
won't be easy, even for me in this one. And with only one gun, I'd hate to see what I could  
do with that.  
  
His had strayed to the gun in his back pocket and heard a distinct click from   
behind.   
  
They're sharp. But not sharp enough. His eyes detected a movement to his right.   
  
It was Duo, running fingers through his hair and muttering something unintelligible.  
  
One of the soldiers nodded at the seemingly asleep pilot. "What's wrong with that   
guy? Is he asleep?"  
  
No one answered.   
  
"What should we do?", Noin whispered out of the corner of her mouth. "Do you have a  
plan?"  
  
"No", Heero whispered back. "But sometimes the best plan is to have no plan."  
  
Noin shook her head. "I don't think that works for this case."  
  
Quatre wrinkled his nose doubtfully, something he hadn't done in a while; he only   
did when they were in some sort of danger. "We could do anything. Wait, let me ask them   
something."  
  
In a timid voice, but one that didn't lack authority, he said ,"Can any of you tell   
me who your leader is? If I could, I would like to negotiate with her."  
  
The soldiers started to answer, but all were cut short by a feminine voice, a voice   
that Quatre both adored, feared, and was suspicious of. His suspicions were confirmed by   
her words.  
  
"I am in charge of this operation. I think all of you know who I am."  
  
The ex-Gundam pilots and Noin all whirled around at the familiarity of that voice.  
  
Her hair swayed in the breeze, silvery blonde hair that reached past her knees.   
Piercing blue eyes searched every face for fear, and hooked eyebrows crowned her forehead.   
She was dressed in a green uniform, with a few badges and pins on her jacket. High -   
quality black leather boots peeked out from the green slacks that matched the color of her   
coat.   
  
There was no mistake. It was Dorothy.   
  
Quatre trembled and almost fell to his knees. "Dorothy, what do you think you're   
doing? You ...did you lie when you said you wouldn't take it on us? What have you done?"  
  
Dorothy smiled, or rather, smirked. "Is it a sin to lie?"  
  
"Of course! My Allah curse you! You have tricked us all! We have given you   
everything: a home, lots of friends, we have given you what we believe is out friendship and  
most of all, our love. And yet, you still betrayed us -"  
  
"I didn't do anything! It was your fault you believed me!", the challenging smile   
was gone from Dorothy's face, and instead, a cold look settled on her features. The forked   
eyebrow twitched. "I'm sure Lieutenant Hitchcock had a lot of fun playing with poor   
Preventer Sally Po over there", she nodded at the comatose figure slung between Trowa and   
Quatre. The confident smile returned. "She didn't even put up a fight. The lieutenant   
e - mailed me right after and told me that he wanted another toy to play with. The new one   
called Sally Po broke...poor toy, I suppose you'll discard it now?"  
  
Trowa gritted his teeth when she laughed. Suppressing the urge to let go of Sally   
and strangle Dorothy, he turned to Quatre and mouthed ,"Plan?"  
  
Quatre looked around before answering. "Nope. Not a bally idea. It's like my mind  
has gone blank."  
  
"That's not good."  
  
"Of course it's not. Noin asked Heero a few minutes before, and he told her that   
sometimes the best plan was to have no plan."  
  
Trowa allowed a tiny smile, a ghost of a smile to flit for a moment over his face.   
"He surprises me sometimes, his sick sense of humor."  
  
Quatre, startled by Trowa's sudden smile, regained his composure and answered ,"Yes,   
he has changed after the Mariemeiya incident. It's a good thing that he now keeps in touch   
more and talks more, now. He send me an e - mail almost every other week."  
  
Trowa nodded before one of the guards shouted at them ,"Oi! What are you two   
planning? To attack us?"  
  
Heero flung Duo to the ground in a flash, and Trowa was not surprised to find that   
the thrown pilot landed on both feet, indigo eyes wide open. He threw something all around   
and smoke filled the air. Everyone took this moment to get out of the crowded building,   
only to be sprayed by a hail of bullets once outside. They escaped inside a small pub, and   
was startled right outside of it again when they saw it was full of enemy soldiers.   
  
Quatre handed Trowa Sally and quickly dialed a phone number. As he spoke, a car   
drove around the next corner. It happened to be the exact thing Quatre wanted: a taxi.   
Everybody piled in, not regarding whether they happened to be sitting in someone else's lap   
or on the seat.   
  
Only Heero had the sense to look up at the driver.   
  
The driver was wearing a green military suit, gloves, and Heero was sure he could   
smell freshly put gunpowder in the handgun that hung by the man's side.   
  
And suddenly Heero knew what to do.  
  
/ \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \   
Author's note:  
  
I hate these suspenseful endings. But I guess it's up to the author to decide when   
he/she wants to stop writing. I chose here. Don't complain!  
  
Andrea Weiling  



	5. Return and Capture

Chapter 4   
  
Hilde paced back and forth, then finally hit her fist on the wall in frustration.   
What is taking Duo so long? He's hurt, he gets the bullet out, he comes back to the base.   
He's hurt, he gets the bullet out, he comes back to the base. He's hurt, he gets the bullet  
out -  
  
"Hilde? Are you still in there?", Lady Une knocked softly on the German's door.   
  
The latter ran a frustrated hand through her short hair and answered ,"Yeah, I'm in   
here. What's the matter, Lady Une? Oh, and please do come in. Don't want to talk to the   
door, do you?"  
  
Neither laughed at the joke, but the Lady did come in and sit delicately on Hilde's   
tidily made bed. "I'm afraid there's been a problem, Hilde. We saw a skirmish near the   
hospital where Duo was supposed to be treated, but the helicopter that was patrolling got   
heard and was shot down before we could get any more information. I think they're in   
trouble. And there's more bad news..."  
  
Hilde leaned in anxiously. "Yes, what is it?"  
  
"Sally Po is dead, I fear. Pagan sent me a report when he was in the car with the   
others. Though he didn't say anything about Duo, he did say that the 'female Preventer' was  
dead. That must've been Sally, since Wufei is far from the category of 'female'."  
  
Hilde half - snickered at this comment, but after a few seconds, shut up and turned   
serious again.  
  
"So, what do we do? We can't just leave them there, I mean, that would be like   
killing them. What are we going to do about their dilemma, Lady Une?"  
  
The older lady shook her head, loose brown hair waving back and forth, reminding   
Hilde vaguely of Duo's swinging braid.  
  
"I don't know, Hilde. I just don't know."  
  
* * *  
  
And at that very exact moment, the subject of Hilde and Lady Une's talk was sitting   
very calmly on top of a sprawled Quatre's arm, while he tried to ignore the growing fester   
in his back.   
  
Just a little farther 'til the next hospital, c'mon, hang on, Duo, he thought to   
himself as his vision went black.   
  
Heero was busy examining the glass between the driver seat and the back seats when   
a filmy gas began to whirl in.   
  
Well, I had a plan, but I guess it's not going to work in these conditions. But if  
I punch the window...  
  
Duo, Trowa, Quatre, and Noin winced at the falling glass that cut everywhere. Not   
that Duo was awake; he probably was dreaming something.  
  
Then my miserable plan might actually work!, Heero finished his thought and also   
punched the glass between the driver and the passengers. Hastily he threw open the door and  
waited until the car had practically stopped before pushed everyone out onto the sidewalk.   
"Run!", he commanded. "Save yourselves, don't worry about me!"  
  
As Duo passed by, carrying a still - sleeping Wufei between him and Noin, Heero   
grabbed his arm and reeled him in, whispering (or shouting, the din was so loud) ,"If I die,  
tell Relena what she already knows."  
  
Duo nodded curtly at the Perfect Soldier and sped on, leaving Heero behind in the   
light of the flaming car. He glanced back one last time and the Japanese was gone, but   
shouts and curses could be heard in Shinigami's ears, and he ran even faster, almost leaving   
Noin behind.   
  
Heero was satisfied as he watched 3 figures disappear into a nearby alley. He knew   
his time had come, and he felt the same lightheadedness as the time he had pressed the self -  
detonating switch. He fought as hard as he could, but seeing that they just kept coming,   
gave up when a blow knocked him into darkness.  
  
* * *  
  
Quatre looked around nervously, as Trowa still hauled the still - formed Sally, who   
was getting stiff.   
  
Out of nowhere, Quatre fired a shot at a nearby lamppost. "Come out, Dorothy! I   
know you're there!"  
  
He aimed his gun at the imposing figure as she stepped out of the shadows. "Hello,   
Quatre Raberba Winner. Isn't it a nice evening out? Why don't you just hand me that gun   
and step aside? I promise I won't hurt you...onegai?"  
  
The blonde pilot's eyes pinched together with ultimate effort to control his face   
into the tight grimace he held now. With a click, he pulled back the last safety lock.   
  
The fork - eyebrowed girl stepped closer one step. "Won't you listen to me, Quatre?"  
  
Quatre held the gun up even higher, in defiance. "Get out of our way, Dorothy!   
We've all had our share of your trickery, so I think you should be the one to step aside!"  
  
"But, Quatre", Dorothy waved her hair a little, rippling it in the dim lamplight.   
"We've just started the fun! Why don't you come and join us, Quatre?"  
  
"Never!"  
  
"Come on, Quatre. You're life's waiting for you to accept the fact that you are one  
of us -"  
  
And there, Dorothy made the fatal mistake of stepping one step closer to Quatre.  
  
* * *  
  
Duo didn't remember much of what happened after they got to the base, or how they   
got to the base. All he remembered was someone carrying him to his room, after removing a   
painful bullet, and covering him up in milky white sheets.  
  
So when he woke up, the first thing he heard was his stomach growling in hunger. As  
if this room had been monitored, the door opened and admitted Quatre. The blonde pilot was   
going to feed the American when he saw his comrade's indigo eyes were wide open.  
  
"Duo! You're awake!"  
  
"Yeah, I guess I am. How long've I been out of it?"  
  
Quatre tapped his chin for a minute. "Quite a few days, I think, almost a week.   
Yes, that's about right...a week at the most, Duo."  
  
"Any word from Heero, or anything about him?"  
  
The Arabian shook his head. "Only bad news about him."  
  
Duo tried to sit up quickly, but his back still ached and he fell back helpless on   
the pillow with a poof sound. "What bad news? Has he been captured? Have the   
Conquistadors offered a ransom for him? Can we get him back somehow?"  
  
Quatre held his hand against the steady flow of questions. "Yes, Heero has been   
captured, and yes, the Conquistadors have offered a ransom. No, he isn't dead, but he's   
here."  
  
Duo was confused. "What do you mean 'here'?"  
  
"The Conquistadors gave him back for some reason. He's probably downstairs drinking  
a cup of coffee right now, and if he's not, then he's going headlong back into Lady Une's   
research lab, looking for clues to how he can defeat them."  
  
Duo snorted. "Still working, eh? Why'm I not surprised?"  
  
Quatre answered earnestly. "Maybe because that's practically what he does for a   
living? Researching different subjects?"  
  
"Yes", said a voice from the door. Both pilots turned and for some reason, none   
were surprised that it was Heero. The L1 pilot stepped in delicately and stared at them   
impassively. "Researching this is my life. I plan to join the Preventer agency when this   
is over. There aren't enough people to register others right now, so I can't join at the   
moment." He also pulled up a chair and sat down. "How do you feel, Duo? I know I'm not   
the best surgeon, but everyone else was on duty, so I was the only one who really knew   
anything about medical issues. I did I messy job of bandaging, I know. Have you changed   
his bandages yet, Quatre?"  
  
"No, not yet, Heero. I was going to feed him first."  
  
As if Duo's stomach had heard, it gurgled tremendously. Quatre stifled a laugh,   
Heero smiled a tiny bit, and Duo turned 5 shades of red. "Hey", he murmured ,"it's not my   
fault it growled so loud." Then he pretended to pout as Quatre handed him a bowl of soup.   
  
"Drink it all up, Duo, even if you don't like the taste."  
  
The injured pilot took one sip and spat it all out on the pristine white blankets.   
"What is this filth, anyway? Is this an example of Heero's cooking?"  
  
Duo barely ducked the fist that came whistling over his head. "My cooking can't be t  
hat bad, you know. I'm sure we've all had training on how to cook, Duo", Heero's cobalt   
eyes showed the smallest sparkle of mocking, so Duo had to settle for that.  
  
"So what? Just because someone's had training in cooking lessons, it doesn't mean   
that that person necessarily knows how to cook."  
  
Now Duo had to duck 2 blows. "Hey! I'm injured, you know! I don't really have the  
time or energy to fight with you guys right now."  
  
Placitively, he began to sip the simmering soup again and commented lightly ,"Yuck.   
It still tastes horrible."  
  
Heero's smile grew a little wider. "Do you want to know who cooked it?"  
  
Both Quatre and Duo leaned forward. "Who?", they asked together.  
  
Heero grinned maliciously, a rare sight to see. "Wufei. Wufei cooked it."  
  
All 3 burst out laughing. Outside, Lady Une wondered what could be taking Quatre so  
long to feed Duo a bowl of soup. Nevertheless, she was happy that they were so lighthearted   
at the moment, not knowing the darkness that was threatening to engulf the peace they had   
finally achieved from hard work.  
  
* * *  
  
The day after, Quatre disappeared.   
  
And after much deliberation and discussion with the Magunac Corps, they concluded   
that Quatre had indeed been kidnapped by the Conquistadors.  
  
But of course, there was simply no way to determine this, no way to confirm this   
assumption.  
  
And of course, there were many plans for to get back their comrade. Perhaps, too   
many to count or take into account.  
  
"No!", Abdul shouted. "I think we should go in by force! Take a few of them down   
before we totally give up on Master Quatre's escape! We can be assured that he will be   
waiting for us."  
  
"That's not good, though", Osmal yelled back. "We need to think of Master Quatre   
first, not the enemy! We should go in inconspicuously, so they don't suspect anything.   
It'll be harder then the other plan, but at least we can get to our destination safer   
instead of yelling to the world that we're in the Conquistador's fortress."  
  
"I think we should go by Abdul's plan!", one Magunac shouted.  
  
"No, I think we should go by Osmal's plan!", another shouted.  
  
"Abdul's plan!"  
  
"Osmal's plan!"  
  
"Abdul!"  
  
"Osmal!"  
  
"Abdul!"  
  
"Osmal!"  
  
"Everyone, settle down! I will hear no more of this ignorant bickering; this will   
get us nowhere near Quatre's rescue, so I suggest that this mess hall, *my* mess hall, be as   
quiet as ever, with minimum talking. Ration on the blabber, please, and stuff your mouths   
with delicious food rather then useless arguments", Lady Une sat down at the 'commanders'   
table and started to help herself potatoes and cheese spinach. Beside her, Mariemeiya   
tugged impatiently at her foster mother's sleeve, to make her see that she couldn't reach   
the canned meat that had been heated at the middle of the table. The Lady absentmindedly   
served her daughter and turned her thoughts back to the last few days, and what could've   
happened to Quatre.   
  
Obviously everyone is afraid for his safety, she thought. He is a very special   
person, to not just a few people, but many. He is a...a person that can unite people to   
stand for what they believe in. He gives them confidence in what they do. That's why so   
many people wish to give him their kindness in return, giving him a spoiled, bratty first   
impression about him. Of course, I used to be that way, too, so I guess I'm not in the   
position to say anything. And I definitely know of more than 50 people who are worried   
about his precarious condition.   
  
I wish I could do something. I'm the only one who seems to wield considerable   
power; all the others are depending on me to do something, something to save him.  
  
But I don't have the ability to do anything. I'm powerless; perhaps even their   
power and skill surpasses mine. No, that's not right: their power and skill does surpass   
mine, no matter what. They really don't know what they can depend on me for, do they? I   
guess they depend on me for moral support...that's all I can spare, all I have for them   
right now.  
  
Oh, how I wish I could ease their minds of all this frustration and panic. Me,   
who's gone through most everything, wishes I could do something for another...how ironic, I   
never thought of anyone when I was Colonel Lady Une, so what has changed...  
  
Mr. Treize was right. The pilots are who we can depend on.   
  
But how can we depend on them if one of them is missing?  
  
I guess we'll just have to do our best with only 4.  
  
"Lady Une? Are you in there? Are you on Mars or are you still on Saturn? Maybe   
Jupiter or Pluto?", Noin waved a hand cautiously before the Lady's face.  
  
The Lady snapped out of her reverie, and answered ,"I was on Planet Daydream, Noin.   
I'm sorry, but all 4 of your guesses were wrong", Lady Une smiled and waited until everyone   
was done laughing, then continued ,"I expect your next guess to be Planet Treize, am I   
right?"  
  
Noin shook her head. "I didn't know you were on an imaginary planet, Lady Une. I   
simply gave it a try to guess where your mind was at that moment. It's really not that big   
of an issue...", Noin glared at Duo, who was laughing his head off. "It's not funny, Duo.   
Oi, are you listening, you laughing freak?"  
  
"Ha ha ha! Ha ha! No! Of course not!", Duo said between bouts of laughter.   
  
Everyone at the table (with the exception of Duo, who was still laughing his head   
off) sweatdropped.   
  
Lady Une inwardly clicked a point for herself. She had made everyone laugh; that   
was an almost impossible feat, considering the table included Trowa and Heero. Her calm   
smile disappeared from sight when the next thought entered her mind.   
Who knows when our next laughs will be?  
  
* * *  
  
Quatre woke up in complete and utter darkness. He took a few minutes to adjust his   
eyes to the darkness, and saw his imprisonment was a cell the size of a small cavern. He   
realized that there was a warmth at his side, and turned.   
  
He would've hit her, but he stopped his hand just an inch away from her blonde head,   
still intact with a black headband. Her long hair spread over the cold floor, and Quatre   
arranged her body in a more comfortable position with her back against the wall. His only   
illumination was the window on his left, which was dark anyway; it was nighttime.   
  
Dorothy stirred. Quatre frowned, but just got as far as the corner she was laying   
against.   
  
The former enemy didn't open her eyes, but she did feel the cold walls that   
surrounded her, smelled the musty air of the castle, heard a person's quickening breath in   
the opposite corner of the cell. The former member of the Libra attack opened her eyes   
suddenly and found she was still wearing the dress she was supposed to go to the Preventer   
meeting in. She looked up and saw it was Quatre who sat in the opposite corner, and reached  
out her hand to him. "Can you help me up? I think my dress is caught on something, and my   
leg...something's wrong with it."  
  
To her surprise, Quatre did nothing. "Why should anyone help a traitor like you?   
You, who we thought was on our side, was on the enemy side all along! You've betrayed us,   
Dorothy!"  
  
Dorothy's eyes widened to their largest she'd ever done. "What? What are you   
talking about?"  
  
Quatre crossed his arms and stood up. "I mean that you launched an attack on us in   
our reconnaissance trip to save Sally and Wufei. That was you, no doubt is was. In fact,   
you even introduced yourself to betray us! You admitted that my words back on Libra had no   
effect on you, so I will not help you, double - crosser."  
  
Dorothy got up herself and fell back down. Quatre, perhaps, pitying her, helped her  
up, but in a rough way that he had never dared used before. Once they had hobbled to the   
window, Dorothy was able to hold herself up and still turn around to talk to Quatre.  
  
"I have no idea on what you're talking about, Quatre Raberba Winner."  
  
"Yes, you do."  
  
"All right. Tell me what happened. I won't interrupt, just keep talking. I want   
to know the whole story of what happened. Don't stop at all; just keep talking."  
  
Quatre's frown became deeper. He rationed his words to ,"We went out to get back   
Sally and Wufei. They were kidnapped by a new organization called the Conquistadors. The   
trip back included a stop to the hospital to get Duo's bullet wound cleaned. We found the   
hospital was occupied by Conquistador soldiers led by someone who claimed to be Dorothy.   
Everyone but Heero escaped, but even though he was on occupation for a while, he got out;   
the Conquistadors released him. I don't know if there are 2 Dorothys, or if you were told   
to do that."  
  
Dorothy sat down, her arms not able to support the weight of the rest of her body.   
She rubbed a sore spot on her foot, and said ,"I think there is an impostor at hand."  
  
"How do I know you're not lying?", Quatre did not move from his position in front   
her. The shadow was cast behind him blended in with the rest of the room (in shadow) as he   
spoke ,"As far as I know, you are the enemy Dorothy."  
  
"Did you notice anything different about the other Dorothy? Like this, for example?",   
Dorothy showed her hand to Quatre, and in the starlight, he felt and saw there was a giant   
burn on her hand. "Where'd you get it?"  
  
Dorothy's blush went unseen in the night ,"I was cooking when I forgot to put on   
gloves and touched a hot pan...I think you get the picture."  
  
Quatre's frown disappeared. "Then you are indeed the real Dorothy. The other   
Dorothy didn't have a burn on her left hand. That was a stupid mistake, holding a hot pan   
without gloves."  
  
Dorothy shook her blonde head. "Don't rub it in, will you?"  
  
The two sat the next few minutes out, then Dorothy heard a wheezing sound. "Quatre?"  
  
"Ack! Help, Dorothy! It's my space heart; it's also known as asthma. I think I'm   
getting an attack!"  
  
Dorothy skittered over as fast as she could and helped to calm him down, resulting   
in him falling asleep. As she watched and guarded over an unsuspecting Quatre, the sun rose  
and found the two prisoners deep in dreamland.  
  
* * *  
  
"Sir, what should we do with the 2 prisoners? As you predicted, they are asleep.   
So what are your further orders?", the soldier asked timidly to the back of the chair.   
  
The chair did not turn, but the man in the chair did speak. "Leave them. We must   
tempt the tiger in order for it to drown in the pool, but we must not lose the bait rabbit   
in the pool before it is the correct time."  
  
Lieutenant Hitchcock was confused, but he left it there and after a curt "Sir", he   
left the room.   
  
The man in the chair smiled.   
  
It was a serpent's smile.  
  
* * *  
  
"So, what do we plan to do, anyway?", Duo lounged comfortably between 2 tree roots   
and munched a giant red apple. Spitting a seed out, he repeated ,"Well? What's out plan to  
get Quatre out?"  
  
Heero, typing on his laptop as usual, answered, "No plan is the best plan."  
  
Duo, pouting, retorted, "You have a plan. You've used plans too, so it's not my   
fault that a plans better then nothing, you know."  
  
Trowa looked up at the apple trunk and shook the tree a little so a few apples fell   
on Duo's head. "Why don't we pay attention to the current problems we've got", he nodded in  
the direction of the other side of the garden.   
  
All looked as Wufei strolled restlessly under a pear tree and disappeared.  
  
Wufei ran his hands on the pear tree's bark and sighed.   
  
Quatre's been gone for 2 days now. He's not the anti - social type like I am, so   
he's got to be kidnapped, in some way or the other. I wish I could do something to help; I   
mean, all we're doing here is sitting and twiddling our thumbs while Quatre could be going   
through the most painful torture and cruelty in his life.  
  
And look at the baka over there! Maxwell! He's just sitting there, innocently   
eating an apple! What's wrong with him? All the others are trying to think of ways to help  
Quatre, while he's sitting there eating an apple!  
Rage filled Wufei at that moment, and he began to walk huffily up the slope to face   
the insolent Duo.  
  
/ \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \   
  
Author's note:  
  
D'ya like it so far? I really don't like a fight, but I guess it's almost necessary   
here. Wufei's really distressed about Sally, and that affects his temper, too. So read on,   
and see what happens. In this one, Hilde and Duo are together. Yes, I accept your   
complaints on the fact that Hilde and Duo don't seem to be together, but whatever comes and  
goes.  
  
Andrea Weiling  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. Yume

Chapter 5  
  
"Lady Une, where's Preventer Sally Po?", Mariemeiya tugged on her foster mother's   
sleeve. When she received no answer, the little child tugged harder.  
  
It was then the drop of water landed on Treize's daughter's hand. It could've been   
anything: dew from the morning, one of the many drops of drizzle that was falling. It was   
quite a harmless drop of water, actually, but Mariemeiya gasped when she saw it. She   
realized the Lady was crying. Mariemeiya herself hadn't cried in many years, but the tear   
changed everything.   
  
She knew that Preventer Sally Po was dead. The answer to her question, in a distant  
and indistinct way, she had known the answer.   
  
Not convinced wholly, Mariemeiya used the tone of voice that signified she wanted   
something. "Lady Une, Sally Po has left the ranks of the Preventer institution, hasn't she?"  
  
The Lady looked down with tear - stained eyes, and answered, "Yes. Preventer Sally   
has left. Do you know why we're here, in the rain today, Mariemeiya?"  
  
Mariemeiya shook her still - short red hair until it flopped down uselessly on her   
wet head. "No. Is it a ceremony to commemorate her? For what she's done?"  
  
Lady Une tried to smile at her little girl, but all she ended up doing was getting   
tears mixed up with the windy rain that splattered all over her short uniformed dress. "Yes.  
Of course, you're right, Mariemeiya. She has left us in physical comparison, but she will   
never leave up spiritually. Sally Po will live on in our hearts, our history, our very   
beings forever. She's on so many records, so many information packets, so many minds of   
scholars around the world, that she will live on forever in everyone's hearts."  
  
Mariemeiya took a moment to ponder this. "Will I be the same? Will you also live   
in the hearts of many people forever? Will we be like Sally?"  
  
The Lady dried her eyes and looked down. "Perhaps, if we try hard enough, we can.   
But we must try first."  
  
* * *  
  
Trowa looked up from his book and glanced at the rapidly approaching figure of Wufei.  
"Here comes trouble, minna."  
  
Duo looked up from the apple that was rapidly diminishing in his mouth. "So what?   
It's just Wufei. He's not going to hurt us. He's probably going to ramble on about   
justice, honor, glory, yadda, yadda, yadda. What's the point, when we won't even turn a   
head at that?"  
  
Heero turned to stare at his friend. "Duo, I wouldn't be too sure of that. Wufei   
looks like he's in a pretty bad temper right now. Though I agree on the fact that we don't   
turn a head at his so - called 'justice ramblings', he looks fit to kill right now. Be   
careful around him, Duo. Don't say anything to offend him; Sally just died, and I bet he   
thinks it's his fault that she's dead. Of course, it's not, but still...be careful, he's in  
a perilous mood right now."  
  
"Why should I listen to you?", Duo glared a little at the L1 pilot, but heeded his   
words and sat back down between the 2 roots of the apple tree, still eating the apple. By   
this time, Wufei was already in earshot, and was approaching Duo fast.  
  
Wufei shook a finger at Duo's hand that was still holding a half - eaten apple.   
"Look at everyone around here! You are the only one who doesn't seem to care about Quatre   
right now. Look at Trowa and Heero; at least they're doing something productive, while you  
sit here, idling your time away eating a stupid apple! There is no justice in this; try   
doing something to help someone else for once and not only think of yourself, Maxwell! You   
act like a weak woman!"  
  
Duo's temper flared. Before Heero or Trowa could react, he had thrown his apple in   
the dirt and had Wufei's shirt collar in a tight grip above his hand. In a warning voice,   
he growled, "Do you want me to punch you, or to kill you? You have the choice."  
  
Wufei couldn't seem to get out of the situation. "Dying seems like the better   
option here. At least when I'm dead, I can get away from insolent freaks such as you,   
Maxwell."  
  
Duo switched his hold to Wufei's neck, but didn't attempt to do anything. "Give me   
the reason, Wufei, and I swear, omae o korosu!"  
  
Wufei started to laugh, but Duo's hand had his throat, and he couldn't even breathe.  
"Go ahead and kill me. Poor Quatre, he must be rolling in his grave right now, because he   
can't be here to stop us from fighting."  
  
Both Heero and Trowa started to get up, but a dangerous look from Duo's eyes that   
they'd never seen before stopped them.   
  
"Don't bring Quatre into this, Wufei! If you're so riled about Quatre, why did you   
just say he's 'rolling in his grave'? You don't even know if he's dead or not, yet, so you   
just shut your damn mouth up! And just before, you said that I should go save him."  
  
Wufei chortled, almost happily, at the hand that was increasing his spirit towards   
the gate of Death. "Death, come and claim me now, away from this wretched world that was my  
haven, but now, I have found that it is my nightmare. Every day here means an even closer   
road to death. Kill me, Duo, I have no regrets, now. As for Quatre, his existence has   
meaning, but it doesn't have enough to persuade me to live."  
  
"Really?", said a voice from the other side of the hill. "My words mean nothing to   
you? Wufei, I'd thought you'd have more sense than to die, because there is not anything   
more precious than life!"  
  
Duo turned his head, and at that moment, he dropped Wufei, who crumpled to the   
ground in a heap. He ruefully rubbed his neck, but he also stared at the brow of the hill,   
on the other side of the apple tree.  
  
The figure was illuminated against the sunset, marred by dispersing rain clouds.   
From the silhouette, the 4 others could see that it was indeed Quatre.  
  
"Quatre!", Duo ran right back the hill in shock and amazement, and saw he was   
holding a figure, seemingly lifeless in his arms. He took the girl, put her on the ground   
(not even bothering to see who it was) and threw his arms around Quatre's neck. "You came   
back! Without a scratch! Why? How'd you get out of that place?"  
  
Quatre smiled as he was pressed against Duo's black priest collar, and he   
tentatively hugged his friend back. "I'll tell you back at the fort. Where's the other 3?"  
  
He didn't need an answer, for Wufei, Heero, and Trowa were coming up the hill to   
meet their seeming lost comrade. Trowa patted Quatre's shoulder, but as usual, Heero did   
nothing but stop a few feet away and watch. Wufei did the same.  
  
Quatre walked up the Wufei and looked firmly at the Chinese. "You know, as I said   
before, there is nothing more precious with life. In death, you can only look on what you   
could've become, but you can't do anything about it. But in life, you can do whatever you   
want. You can make your dreams a reality, and with that, you become the greatest you can be.  
Do not wish to die, because the more you wish for it, the sooner it will come, and if it   
comes, the person that was Wufei will become nothing but a whisper in the winds, because you  
did not become all you can become."  
  
Wufei looked down guiltily, but Quatre smiled in comfort for his friend and steered   
him with one hand back to the gate to the garden. "Let's all go back to the mess hall, and   
catch something to eat. I'm starving." He picked up the girl again and they all proceeded   
towards the main building.  
  
The apple core lay forgotten between the 2 roots of the apple tree.  
  
* * *  
  
Everyone was crowded around something/someone when Lady Une returned to the mess   
hall after attending Sally's funeral. The sound level hit her ears the moment she entered   
the auditorium. "Quiet!", she yelled, but no one heard her. Mariemeiya somehow got her   
hands on a megaphone and handed it to her mother. "Here. Try this."  
  
Lady Une fiddled with the switches for a moment, then said, "Quiet, minna. If you   
aren't going to eat, then go back to your chambers."   
  
The megaphone projection worked. The hall was silenced and Lady Une was astounded   
to see that it had been Quatre that everyone had been crowded around. She hurried over with   
her daughter (who conveniently sat herself on Quatre's lap) and absentmindedly squeezed his   
shoulders. "When did you get out?"  
  
Quatre beamed. "They were either sleeping at noon or they purposefully unlocked all  
the doors, including the main double doors, or I was very, very lucky."  
  
Heero frowned. "Why'd you bring Dorothy back? She's a member of the Conquistadors,  
you know."  
  
Quatre shook his blonde head earnestly. "No, not at all! Dorothy somehow has been   
doubled; the Dorothy we saw at the attack wasn't the real Dorothy. This is; look at the   
burn on her left hand."  
  
Everyone looked on as Heero turned over the left hand. There was indeed a burn, a   
serious one. Heero nodded, believing Dorothy's story. Everyone with the exception of the   
Gboys and Noin were nonplused; what attack?  
  
Duo glanced around at the confused faces and explained, "We were attacked by a   
battalion led by an impostor Dorothy Catalonia, and that's how I got the bruises, cuts,   
whatever. This is the real Dorothy, so no need to kill her."  
  
There was silence for a moment, then Lady Une and Noin spoke up together, "Well,   
what are you going to do with her Quatre, kiss her? Put her in one of the spare rooms."   
"When I have time", Noin told him, "I'll install a monitor so you can see her lovely face at  
all times. Who knows, we might even catch you kissing the monitor someday."  
  
Quatre blushed a million shades of red. In a low, bashful voice, he said, "'m not   
in love with her."  
  
Someone started to yell, "Quatre's in love with Dorothy! Quatre's in love with   
Dorothy!" Soon everyone joined in, and Quatre ducked his head down over the table in   
embarrassment. He happened to look down at Dorothy's head in his lap, and realized the blue  
eyes were open. Yelping, he got up, and deposited Dorothy ungainly on the bench, almost   
sliding her off. She rubbed her head and rearranged her headband. When she was done, she   
looked at Quatre questioningly.  
  
Quatre, still blushing profusely, stuttered, "G - go - gomen nasai!", then hurried   
off to his room. The room burst into laughter, and amidst that laughter, Dorothy asked one   
person after another, "Oi! What are you laughing about? What's so funny?"  
  
* * *  
  
"Sir, what will we do with the girl?", a soldier bowed in respect to the leader and   
backed away a few steps after asking.  
  
The man turned his chair around. The soldier couldn't see the face, but anyone   
could recognize the voice, the voice that pronounced certain doom for whoever crossed his   
path. "What do you think we should do with her, soldier? Maybe we should become cannibals   
and eat her. Or maybe throw her out into space, without an oxygen mask", he gestured out   
the window of the space ship. "Or, perhaps, we should torture her for information."  
  
The soldier's throat gulped down slightly when the man rubbed his hands gleefully at  
the thought of torture. Just be glad it's not you, he told himself. I may be a coward,   
but at least I'm still a living coward, and not a dead one.  
  
"Or, maybe, we should put your physical self to the test, and let you be the one   
who's tortured for unsubordinance, since you answered none of my questions, soldier. Would   
you prefer that? Or would you like the little girl to be tortured?", the man leaned   
forward, and now the soldier could see glistening, white teeth, like the ones of a shark.   
He stuttered a faint "Uh...uh...torture her, not me!", bowed, and left the room as fast as   
he could.  
  
* * *  
  
Duo climbed slowly up the ladder, and opened the trapdoor to the roof. He stopped   
to savor the soft but chilly breeze that blew in from the small crack that he had made.   
Then he continue to slide the trapdoor against the roof, grating it against the metal tiles.  
Once there was a big enough gap, he scampered up the last few rungs, and let the breeze play  
with his meter - long braid. Stepping onto the roof, he paused and looked around, and   
spotted Heero sitting with his hands around his knees.   
  
The L2 pilot plopped down beside him, and flipped the braid over his shoulder in a   
girlish manner. "Yo, there, man. What's the matter? Thinking about your girlfriend,   
Relena?"  
  
Duo cringed and waited for the punishing blow to come, but nothing happened. Heero   
continued to stare out into space, never moving, except for the steady flow of air into his   
nose and the blink that came once in a while. But other than that, Heero didn't even seem   
affected by Duo's insult.  
  
Dazed that he had gotten out of the mess effectively, he waved a hand in front of   
his friend's face. "Oi! Anyone in there? Are you on Planet Relena? Or on Planet Daydream  
Land? Are they the same planet? Hey, answer me, will ya, Heero! Ohayo! Earth to Heero?"  
  
As he was waving, Heero caught the hand and proceeded to stuff it right in Duo's   
mouth. After doing so, he got up and moved to another portion of the vast roof.  
  
Duo was enraged. "Oi! What's the big idea, Heero?"  
  
"Shut up. I'm thinking."  
  
"Well, I think too, so look who's talking!"  
  
"You think about unnecessary stuff. At least I'm thinking of something productive."  
  
"Use your head a little more, and open your stupid eyes, Heero!"  
  
The cobalt eyes turned to face Duo's, and Heero said (in his monotone voice), "Same   
to you. Did you not hear me? I said, shut up."  
  
Duo groaned in ecstasy, and sat down beside Heero again, farther away than last   
time, lest Heero commence a sneak attack.  
  
After a little while, Duo couldn't take the silence anymore, and asked, "What'cha   
thinkin' about, Heero?"  
  
The Japanese was silent for a minute, but Duo waited patiently. Finally he answered,   
"The enemy. How we can put out his fire without hurting people, and sacrificing valuable   
lives like Sally Po's. We must stop this fire, but now without more power. The Gundams   
have been destroyed...it would take too much time to rebuild them, but still...the Doctors   
are working on restoring them already, but that's going to take a long time, and I think the  
Conquistadors know what we're planning. We can't determine their next step, but we must   
prepare for it. I've broken my promise already. My promise to Relena, when I pretended to   
kill Mariemeiya."  
  
Duo was puzzled. "What promise?"  
  
Heero's look waned. "I promised that I wouldn't have to hurt anyone ever again.   
I've broken that promise. There's no way around it. I thought we wouldn't have to use   
mobile suits anymore, but it looks like we weren't able to self - detonate all of them.   
That's bad, because now the enemy has mobile suits and we don't. We only have shuttles and   
patterns and blueprints of Aries, Serpents, Gundams, whatever. But we don't stand a chance   
now."  
  
Duo looked down at the ground below, a few floors away. "You know, I could just   
jump, and so could you, right now, but that'd be betraying the will of Quatre and countless   
others. So I won't do it. Plus, Hilde's promise is going to haunt me in the depths of   
Reikai too, so that's 2 against 1. Why don't you do it? Hurting yourself doesn't count for  
hurting others, does it?"  
  
Heero turned to look at Duo. "I said I wouldn't hurt anyone ever again. The word   
'anyone' includes myself. And I wouldn't kill myself anyway; there's too much trouble going  
on. If I wanted to commit suicide, I'd do it after all the trouble's over. I'm not going   
to, though. Your statement has merit; it'd be going against Quatre's beliefs. That's a bad  
thing to do, especially because you're one of his friends."  
  
Duo looked confused. "I'm his friend? Aren't you his friend too? You know, we've   
gotten to know each other so well, I'm sorry that you don't think you're his friend. We'd   
die for each other, if the chance arises, I think. At least I would."  
  
Heero's insides squirmed guiltily. "I don't have friends. The friend I had once   
died because of me, and I won't let that happen to another person I called a friend. I just  
cause trouble to those around me, that's all. That's why. I'm a trouble child."  
  
Duo glanced sharply at the figure next to him. "I am, too."  
  
"You are?", Heero looked up at Duo.  
  
"Yeah, I bring waste to all that I know. Happens too many times to count, already.   
Sister Helen, Father Maxwell, Solo, everyone in my gang, all gone because of me. Everyone   
got adopted but me. I just remained the child of the church. I was never adopted. I asked   
the Father and Sister why, and they said because the person who will love me hasn't come yet.  
I'm starting to think that person will never come. I've been alone all this time, and still,  
no one has claimed me. Hey, at least you had Lowe as a kind of a father. I had no one. I   
can't even count the Father and Sister as my parents, although I wished they were. They   
were the only ones who really cared about me."  
  
Heero was surprised, just as Duo was. "So, you never had a family too? Seems like   
the only ones who don't remember our parents are us 2."  
  
The L2 pilot nodded vaguely, lost in his own thoughts of bad memories. He stared at  
the moon, interrupted only by one question from Heero.   
  
"Why do you come up here every night to look at the moon?"  
  
Duo started at that question, but answered it anyway. "Sister Helen used to show it  
to me in the bedroom the kids lived in. It would stream though the window, and right onto   
my pillow. The other children were asleep, but I was always the last to sleep, because the   
moonlight always shone right in my face. It was annoying, but I got used to it."   
  
"And still, to this day, you look at the moon."  
  
"Yes", Duo sighed regretfully. "I look at it, to remind me of the days when I was   
the happiest, when I was still untainted by the war. And to contemplate the giant mistake I  
made in order to save the Maxwell Church. I still can't seem to forgive myself, though,   
even after all these years."  
  
Heero said nothing to reply to this comment. He knew very well what happened in the  
Maxwell Church Incident, when the soldiers accused the Church of stealing a mobile suit, and  
Duo went to get the mobile suit in order to keep his Church alive. When he got back with   
the suit, the Church was gone and Sister Helen told Duo her last goodbye. He knew all this   
from the news stories he had found on the Web, and the ramblings and ranting when Duo was   
sleep - talking. Duo had further gone with an effort to kill himself, to blame himself for   
killing the Church and its inhabitants. The suicide mission hadn't succeeded, and Duo came   
out dazed but still alive. Quatre gave him a stern lecture on how precious life was, and   
Duo stopped with the crazy suicide ideas.  
  
The 2 stared at the moon together, in amiable silence, before Heero's watch rang   
midnight and they soundlessly went inside the fortress one after the other.  
  
* * *  
A figure slipped between the bars of the fence, unnoticed by the petty, sleepy   
guards on the top. A second later, 2 guards were dead, dragged under the bushes, and the   
figure slipped inside the fortress, flipping back a seam of cloth from the loose turban he   
wore to conceal his platinum - blonde hair. He slid the doors open, the door to the   
resident corridor with a bit of oil. Unfortunately, the hinges still emitted a high squeak.  
  
The man stopped to listen for approaching footsteps, and mentally cursed his   
mistake. After a few minutes, he still heard nothing, and he crept further down the hall,   
hugging the shadows. He stopped, every 2 doors or so, to listen for any sound. Silence   
always proceeded these stops, and very soon he had reached the stairs to the second floor to  
the sleeping quarters. Silently, he glided up the stairs and took a left, a map of the   
corridors open in his mind.   
  
Just a bit farther, he told himself mentally. Almost there. Hang on...  
  
He stopped in front of a door labeled 205 in brilliant gold letters, and fumbled   
with a tiny hairpin (it looked incomparably small in his palm), and with a click, the lock   
opened. However, the man realized there was a password code box beside the door. He   
thought for a moment, then punched in some numbers in a certain order. The stranger winced   
when he heard the beep of each number being pushed. He punched in the last number, and   
waited for the nonexistent someone to catch him red - handed, trying to break into someone's  
room.  
  
When it didn't come, he eased open the door, and peeked inside. After seeing there   
were no sensors or alarms, he opened the door a little larger and stepped inside the   
threshold.   
  
The room was quite large, but it had little furnishing. Just a desk, a chair, a   
rounded sofa set (complete with tea table), and a canopy bed. He almost tripped over a pair  
of loose slippers in his haste to get to the bedside, and caught the bed just in time to   
save his fall. He got up slowly, not to disturb the sleeper, and pulled away the material   
of the canopy to see her better. He tilted her head up, and examined the face he knew so   
well from years in the academy.   
  
Rakey bangs curled down not quite to her chin, and her usually vibrant dark purple   
eyes were now closed in peace and comfort of the bed underneath her. Her mouth was slightly  
open, and eyebrows curved in, just a little, as if she was worrying about something. 2   
hands sandwiched the pillow in between and brought it under her head. The moonlight   
filtered through the other side's canopy cloth, and illuminated her hair, a black mop cut   
boyishly short, hair reflecting a violet color. She was wearing a tank top and baggy, loose -   
fitting sweatpants, the kind that people jog in.   
  
Slowly, ever - so - slowly, he reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder and   
shook it, as if he were afraid that his hand would shatter this vision of peace and   
tranquillity. When she did not wake, he shook her shoulder again, a little harder this   
time. Her eyebrows furrowed, and 2 eyes opened drearily.   
  
"Huh? What?", Noin drawled a little, blinking from the brightness of the moonlight.  
  
The man took his hand off her thin shoulder, and lifted the turban away from his   
face and drew it back, like a hood of a cloak.   
  
Suddenly Noin came awake. Her eyes snapped open, clearly taking in the scene before  
her. Her mouth opened into a little gasp of noise, and she turned to get a better view of   
his face.   
  
It was unmistakably Zechs Merquise.   
  
"Zechs! What are you doing here?", she half - yelped in her surprise.  
  
The former Peacecraft clamped a large hand over her mouth and pressed a finger to   
his lips. Only when Noin nodded did he let go. He bent low over Noin and put his lips to   
her ear. The latter shivered from his closeness.  
  
"Listen, Noin. We have to get out of here. Now."  
  
Noin's eyes widened to their largest extent. "Why?", she whispered back into her   
secret love's ear.   
  
Zechs frowned. He answered her question. To her surprise, her dark eyes opened   
wider.   
  
"They're here. They're going to attack tonight. That's why I'm going to get you   
out."  
  
/ \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \  
  
Author's note:  
  
I know that Noin and Zechs were working together on the Mars Terraforming Project at  
the end of Endless Waltz, but I put it here that Noin and Zechs were both working for   
Preventers. Zechs *would* disappear on a regular basis, for his own personal needs. No   
idea why. Just because it's that way. Sheesh, what am I rambling about? I'm the author of  
this story but I don't even know why the characters' personalities are this way...  
  
Andrea Weiling  
  



End file.
